And when you hear the theory, it makes a little more sense than the original "Earth is flat" hype...if that means anything.

Shocking Theory

There's a good reason we can't figure out what the universe looks like: we've been thinking three-dimensionally, and we actually live in a 2D world. Researchers from England, Canada and the U.S. recently reported their findings in the journal "Physical Review Letters." And frankly, their theories are more than a little shocking.

The True Nature of the Universe

While we seem to be living in a 3D reality, that is mere illusion. You've been fooled, the same way Hollywood uses trickery to make their movies -- often projected on 2D surfaces -- look 3D. 

"Holography is a huge leap forward in the way we think about the structure and creation of the universe," explained Kostas Skenderies, of the University of Southampton. 

Back to That Again?

For decades, scientists have had trouble combining Einstein's theory of gravity and quantum theory. But if the entire universe is really a hologram, Einstein's theories are reconciled...and we're all actually living in 2D. As Skenderies says, "Imagine that everything you see, feel and hear in three dimensions -- and your perception of time -- in fact emanates from a flat, two-dimensional field."

Some cultures believed that the Earth was actually flat, and not round, until the 17th century. If only they had expanded their ideas to include the entire universe, they'd have had it right all along...possibly.

In the Matrix

So is the universe flat? Are we all living inside a complex holographic projection, a Matrix-like world where all that we see is really illusion? Does it really make less sense than some of the other theories out there? Share this story, and any answers you think you've got!